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OK…So…

Speech and voice quality have always been important to me. There is an epidemic of sorts right now that is driving me bonkers: people begin their spoken sentences with “So…” or “OK, so…” Much like when the Gen-X or Gen-Y people used ‘like’ all the time (and still do), this affectation with ‘so’ is mind-boggling. The problem is, I find myself doing it; I am aware and am actively trying to stop myself from saying ‘so’ when I start a sentence. What’s even more interesting is that when you Google “Starting a sentence with so” there are tens of millions of hits. MANY people have written about this. SO, I am not alone.

Here is part of the Macmillan Dictionary definition of ‘so:’

So can be used in the following ways:

as an adverb (followed by an adjective or another adverb): Why are you so angry this morning? ♦ It all happened so quickly. (with a verb): We were so looking forward to meeting your family. (followed by an auxiliary or modal verb and then its subject): ‘I’m hungry.’ ‘So am I.’ (followed by an adjective and ‘a’ or ‘an’ and a singular countable noun): The garden seemed small for so large a house.

as a conjunction (connecting two clauses): There weren’t enough beds, so I had to sleep on the floor.

as a way of starting a new sentence: So, when do you start your new job?

in the conjunction phrase so that: He was standing in the shadow so that I could not see his face clearly

And the 7th usage in the definition:

Spoken used for introducing a known fact before you make a comment to show that it does not matter:

Okay, so the guy made a few mistakes. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player.

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Who is Brenda?

Recovering broadcast radio reporter and anchor - now a PR professional specializing in content and social media management, life sure has its twists and turns. My comments range from 'how to maximize PR in your business or observations of our world, there's always something to write about.